"DAVID MALPASS"

Briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Secretary-General António Guterres said, “uneven, unfair recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic “is eroding trust between the developed and developing world,” and stressed that many developing countries “urgently need a helping hand.” UNIFEED

The heads of the world’s predominant global financing, health and trade agencies have united to urge government leaders to urgently finance a new $50 billion roadmap to accelerate the equitable distribution of health tools to help end the pandemic that has devastated lives and livelihoods for 18 months and also set the foundations for a truly global recovery, as well as enhanced health security. WHO

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, together with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, convene a virtual Meeting of Heads of State and Government to discuss the international debt architecture and liquidity as part of the Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond Initiative (FfDI).

At a high-level session, heads of the WTO, WHO, OECD, IMF, World Bank and UNCTAD discussed the multilateral trade system's role in ensuring the availability of essential medical goods needed to control the spread of the virus; the higher impact felt in least-developed countries, the uneven recovery in trade since the pandemic hit, and further adaptation needed as the economy gathers momentum. WTO

World Bank Group (WBG) president David Malpass highlighted the need for transparency of COVID-19 vaccine contracts and said the WBG hoped this fiscal year to provide USD$10 billion of assistance to the region. WORLD BANK

Make bold environmental action central focus of post pandemic economic recovery, speakers urge as General Assembly holds first ever global biodiversity summit.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the UN Secretary-General host a high-level event aimed at building stronger political consensus for a coordinated global response to COVID-19.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it is in every “national and economic self-interest to work together to massively expand access to tests and treatments, and to support a vaccine as a global public good -- a “people’s vaccine” available and affordable for everyone, everywhere,” and noted that the ACT-Accelerator , with its COVAX Facility, “is the vehicle to get us there.” UNIFEED

A high-level meeting on financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the era of COVID-19 and beyond, co-convened by the Secretary-General and the Prime Ministers of Canada and Jamaica.